


AU! AU! AU!

by sinousine



Category: Transformers (Unicron Trilogy), Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Gen, Multi, Unethical Experimentation, megatron/starscream/soundwave - Freeform, starscream/soundwave - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 03:18:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17014614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinousine/pseuds/sinousine
Summary: Transformers AUs that I sadly do not have the time or energy to write. But they live on, in this neat archive.





	1. Gorbird Hens

Gorbirds are my fantasy species. They resemble chickens with deep reddish-brown skin, but are much larger, with larger heads. They have long wattles growing from the corners of their mouths. Much of their home planet, Gortree, is desert wasteland from a long-ago calamity. Like chickens, they have a tendency towards hierarchy.

Their species has a skewed sex ratio, necessitating several hens to share a rooster to reproduce. The political and military leaders tend to be roosters, but hens do much of the grunt work.

The species is sequentially hermaphroditic. Nearly all Gorbirds are "born female", and called hens. Select members which attain enough social status transition into roosters, much like California Sheephead fish.

-

Set before the present day, before Gorbirds travelled into space, before other planets meddled on Gortree, a historical drama. The whole story would be a soap opera on Gortree and a smash hit (much like court dramas in countries like India, South Korea, etc are widely watched) and worthy of being used for reaction gifs.

-

Gortree is made up of warring nation-states in this time period.

Soundwave and Starscream are Gorbird hens and the two commanding officers in the army of a powerful warlord, Megatron who rules his portion of the planet. They are also his wives, married for political reasons.

Soundwave is the humble, pious, silent, “good” wife at the top of the pecking order. She has several children with Megatron and her “word” is law.

Starscream is the vain wife who indulges in jewelry and delicacies because she can’t stand her husband - but cannot leave him so she takes advantage of his considerable wealth. She also has influence over the other wives and inhabitants of Megatron’s household.

The plot would revolve around the court intrigue between the hens of Megatron’s brood and the war with a rival Gorish nation-state (of which Optimus Prime is the leader). The art design would take cues from locations in North Africa.

Names would be localized to whatever language is used. Maybe there would be a dance number in there somewhere.

Starscream would want her husband to die because the top hen in the brood transitions into a rooster after the rooster dies, by some feat of alien of biology. She would have control of the realm and all its riches and be able to sire offspring with the other hens.

The officers in Megatron’s army would carry banners with a modified version of the Decepticon emblem on them. Some would wear helmets styled after the emblem.

Starscream might be into falconry with whatever flying species exist on Gortree. Or aerial recon using a really big kite. Her battle regalia would have these two back flags that mimic jet wings.

Soundwave would have a pet pterosaur and cat-like creature as her pets and be skilled at a musical instrument. Her firstborn would be the cassette twins who are her musical accompaniments during the musical dance sequences. She doesn’t normally talk, but can express feelings through song lyrics including a song all about how much she loves her husband.

Megatron and Soundwave were laborer hens, bottom of the rung. No family ties, had only each other. Formed a popular uprising against the king, promising better treatment for commoners.

Megatron seized control of the polity of Kaon, made its capital his fortress.

Starscream was a princess, the youngest child of a family of warrior-scholars and falconers. Her kingdom, Vos, was aligned with the emperor. The war came to Vos.

In exchange for letting Megatron’s forces into the city she would be granted a position of power in the military command of the Decepticons (Deceptihens?). Starscream wanted to side with the victor, who she had heard all about - and gain the prestige her older siblings had. Megatron and Soundwave made a good first impression (“Oh no they’re hot!”)

Her family was stripped of its wealth and she was granted a place in the command. The three hens formed a triad - a kind of bondmate arrangement. This allowed Megatron to transition into a cockerel and make babies with the other two.

Soundwave took interest in the princess. Well the feelings were mutual. It was rumored she had the power to read and control minds. Megatron was a good cockerel who respected loyalty and intellect and was open to second opinions.

Starscream proved to be a brilliant strategist.

The early days were enthralling, passionate…but I see it unraveling over time.

-

I imagine Megatron dies from radiation poisoning, after Starscream puts something in his drink. Soundwave is gripped with grief, inconsolable. Starscream takes leadership of Megatron's army.


	2. Silver Guilloutine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Moto Hagio's "Han-Shin".  
> Unethical medical experiments, dehumanization. And implied rape I guess. Not as graphic as you think.

In Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass there’s a device called the Silver Guillotine. 

In this universe, people’s souls are personified as animals that live outside their body, but cannot be more than a certain distance from them. The Silver Guillotine has the ability to sever this bond by slicing the air between a person and their soul, severing the bond. This releases an enormous amount of energy.

Now imagine that spark-bonded mechs will die if the other dies.

In the TFA universe, the Autobots test their own version of the Silver Guillotine. Live subjects are needed for such an endeavor. In the beginning they use captured Decepticons and lawbreaking Autobots as test subjects, because Decepticons and criminals are not considered “real people”. Are the bots bonded when they’re captured? Do they bond in captivity as a way to cope with the stress? Or do their captors force them?

Regardless of how they came to be bonded, these initial tests end in the deaths of both bondmates, as the severing of the bond is so traumatic that both of them wither away and die. First immediately, then after a few hours, then days, and then the process has most of the kinks ironed out.

Now the Guillotine requires some volunteers closer to Polite Society. Two mechs who due to their impulsive nature bonded carelessly. Their bondmate got into a life of crime, preventing them from knowing peace due to the possibility they could die any moment because their partner is killed, or be used as ransom. Or a mech who was forced to bond with a horrible, cruel mech who kept them hostage, a mech who is now in an Autobot prison. Or perhaps two twins, one sickly and the other who feels held back by taking care of their twin.

Imagine then, the two mechs being placed on the opposite sides of a chamber big enough to accommodate both of them. A barrier slides down between them. The blade of the guillotine is about to fall.

But the mech, the one considered guiltless by the Autobot researchers, has some second thoughts. Attachment to their bondmate. Fear of being alone. Fear of the unknown.

They reach out to object, to say “wait!”, but their cries are drowned out by the machinery in the room, or the blade moves too quickly – coming down with a terrible slice and cutting them off mid-sentence.

They awaken in a hospital bed, their bondmate nowhere to be seen. They feel like something is terribly wrong. Why does it hurt?

The doctor comes in, and explains that as a side effect of the severing, their spark will hurt for some time. But they are expected to make a full recovery.

The mech asks about their bondmate. Their bondmate, relying heavily on the bond, was not so lucky. They are slowly dying from the trauma of the separation, and are not expected to live very much longer.

The mech is led to the hospital room (or guarded holding cell) where their bondmate is lying. They look dull and listless, too weak to get up.

Isn’t it better for them to die? Poor thing, paying for a mistake you made when you were young and easily led by someone you loved. Why suffer for their mistakes now? You are so much better than them.

Isn’t it better for them to die? Poor thing, having to take care of your twin all your life. You never had a proper childhood because you were busy parenting them. They were holding you back. Aren’t you glad you don’t have to pull that dead weight around?

Isn’t it better for them to die? Poor thing, spending the rest of your life shackled to a monster. You would have died if they died. Now you no longer have to worry about this deceitful villain dragging you down with them.

But it hurts, it hurts so bad. They feel like they’re dying inside…how can this be good?

The mech peers through the window, or walks into the room. Their bondmate waves weakly. The mech turns away, too revolted to come any closer. They later receive news their ex-bondmate has died. 

Years later, it’s just as the people in charge said. They live a happy life, with a partner who loves them. They live in a comfortable home with friendly neighbors. But every now and then they think back of the bondmate they lost and they become overwhelmed with guilt and sadness (rational or not - trauma bonding ahem). And the tears won’t stop.

The Autobots in charge of the Guillotine project spin this story as a success - undesirable bots have been disposed of, while innocent bots have been saved. Regardless if they manipulated said bots into going through an extremely traumatic process that they’ll still dealing with emotionally to this day. Publicity!


	3. Star Saber

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Samurai Jack meets Transformers Armada, oh my.

_Long ago I Unicron, the shapeshifting devourer of worlds, set out to destroy all of existence_

_But a foolish Decepticon jet wielding a magic sword stepped forth to oppose me!_

_Before the first blow was struck, I ate him._

_He became trapped in my bowels, where my word is law._

_Now the fool seeks to escape my sticky clutches and stop the future that is Unicron._

(catchy music plays as Starscream is dropped into a strange and unfamiliar world populated by horned mechs. He fights off Unicron’s antibodies with the Star Sabre)

-

A Samurai Jack-like series where Armada Starscream went to battle against Unicron to save Megatron and everybody else.

But before Starscream could cut down Unicron with his sword, Unicron trapped him in a time bubble.

Now Starscream is trapped inside of Unicron, where Unicron’s will is supreme.

The series documents Starscream’s attempts to escape and rescue Megatron (who is trapped in Unicron’s core), befriending neutral bots along the way and prevent Unicron from eating more planets.

Starscream gets in sword fights. The enemies are drones created by Unicron’s immune system or servants of Unicron.

One of the recurring characters is a grizzled fem bot with horns who looks like IDW Lockdown but different. She helps him through this journey. Mostly by headbutting.

 


	4. When the World Screamed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amalgamation of “Unicron is Earth” and [“When the World Screamed”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_World_Screamed) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Some smartass theorizes the Earth is a living thing, like a sea urchin, which has a hard shell. Drilling deep down enough will cause a reaction from this living thing. He obtains the funding for this project, starts drilling to much fanfare and media attention.

The smartass drills down to Unicron’s flesh, discovering the wonders down there. He is making the first few feet into the very core when Unicron wakes up.

Unicron does not take this intrusion well, no sir-ree. Screaming in anguish and pain, he flies into a rage. Unicron destroys the drilling expedition in a flood of searing hot purple Energon, and causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions around the globe.


	5. Last survivors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Starscream/Soundwave sad end

Starscream clutches a tearful Soundwave as they flee the scene of Megatron’s death. It is a night of fire.

There is no time to say goodbye, or they risk capture. The Decepticon army has been led into a trap. They can smell burning fuel and hear the screech of metal being twisted. They wade their way through a shallow river.

Starscream no longer wishes to serve under Megatron. Whether they like it or not, they must run.

They find new alt modes and disguise their appearances. They find a faraway world where they can live together. Soundwave swallows grief - Megatron was the most important person.

They split the chores. There is a garden out front, where they grow things. Soundwave changes the filters on the Energon purifier. Starscream brings home scrap metal. They kiss on the nest in one corner of the house. They lie awake, watching the moons through the window.

For many years they live in the house on the faraway world, until someone discovers their true identities.

A former Decepticon who has been selling parts to them has turned them in exchange for amnesty.

Soundwave is captured first, walking to town to get supplies.

Starscream is told to surrender, or Soundwave will be shot.

The two of them are taken to an Autobot prison where they await their trial.

They are tried and found guilty of war crimes. The punishment is death. Optimus Prime’s mercy is gone with the memory of Megatron.

The two of them are executed together. The crowd cheers.


	6. Carousel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based off of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel. Domestic abuse warning...

Starscream is a carousel operator and Soundwave works in a textile mill.

They meet on the carousel and Soundwave slowly realizes he’s in love.

They marry, but Soundwave loses his job after becoming pregnant with their child.

Starscream loses his job as well, and in frustration strikes Soundwave.

Soundwave tries to justify staying with Starscream (he is in love) but the other factory employees think he’s being irrational.

Starscream participates in a robbery, but fails to get away cleanly. He is shot by the police and dies, leaving Soundwave all alone and sad.

Starscream is sent to robot purgatory, where the Heavenly judge gives him one chance to make it right.

He returns to Cybertron for one day - years have passed and Laserbeak is about to graduate from high school.

Starscream introduces himself to Laserbeak, who grew up in poverty hearing nasty slander about his father. Starscream stops himself from slapping Laserbreak in anger when his child does not recognize him (even if the blow had landed, it wouldn't have felt like anything). Soundwave has a flash of recognition before Starscream vanishes from sight.

At the graduation ceremony, the Principal tells the students to walk with their heads held high. Laserbeak receives his diploma, hopeful in the face of an uncertain future.

Starscream, hidden in the crowd, congratulates Laserbeak, and, his time in the world of the living at an end, goes off “into the mist of day”.


	7. Esther's Demon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based on Ava's Demon.  
> Gender human AU.  
> Suicide and self harm is in the source material.

For 15 years, Esther (Starscream) has been tormented by an incorporeal entity who places suggestions in her head. The entity constantly reminds Esther of her worthlessness and the ugliness of the world around her. You are weak and useless. You are a coward. You can’t do anything right. You’re not pretty (imagine if you will, scenarios of birth where this comment would sting extra hard) you aren’t smart you will never amount to anything.

The entity encourages her to unleash her rage at others - sometimes rightfully, but she lives in a world with severe social restrictions. Esther lives on a planet under the control of the Primes - there is some mass indoctrination going on that poses the Primes as the saviors of the known universe, followers get into Paradise, etc. She dreams of becoming a pilot in the Elite Guard, but not with this demon hanging over her head.

She has been ostracized by her peers for her emotional outbursts and defiance of authority. Unable to stop the demon from whispering to her, Esther has tried to kill herself at least once. Her arms are covered in scars but she tries to obscure this fact by drawing black patterns over her body (that resemble Starscream’s tattoos).

This demon - who takes on the form of a silver titan with a weaponized right arm - is in fact Megatron, the dead Empress of a territory conquered by the Dynasty of the Primes. Megatron once ruled with her bondmate, Shockwave. Rather than surrender to the Primes, she killed herself and cast a spell so that her soul would be bound to a sentient being born in the moment of her death.

Esther happened to be that being. Megatron, furious that her soul latched onto such a weak being, has been trying to get Esther to kill herself so she can move on, or form a contract to become a superbeing who possesses some of Megatron’s abilities.

The school that Esther attends is attacked by an alien army, and Esther is forced to flee offplanet with two classmates - Barricade and Soundwave.

She is mortally wounded the shuttle crash that ensues, and forms a contract with Megatron before her soul dissolves into stardust. Esther makes Megatron promise her a new life, one free from the pain that Esther was forced to suffer for 15 years.

Esther gains Megatron’s titanic strength and the ability to contort/transform her body, but on the condition she assist the Empress with her grand scheme.

Megatron is on a mission: she wants to get her Empire back and she wants revenge on the Dynasty of Primes. To do this she needs the help of her high command, who have reincarnated/possessed other beings in a similar fashion.

The mission that Esther is tasked with is daunting, and she might now make out of it with her humanity - but she must take the risk.


	8. Save the pearls! An Armada story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven Universe meets Transformers Armada.

A long time ago, a ship full of Pearls crash landed on Earth. The Pearls were renegades, hoping to escape being used by more powerful Gems.

Pearls have the ability to confer great power to any Gem who fuses with them. They also come with subservience programming. They escalated a war between two factions of Gems.

Modern day, a group of three kids stumble upon the Pearl ship. One of them activates a navy-blue Pearl who was hiding in her gem.

The ship gives off a signal to the Gem homeworld, causing two factions of Gems to make their way to Earth.

One faction is led by Alexandrite (Megatron) and her three commanders, Jet (Starscream), Sunstone (Cyclonus), and Sanidine (Demolisher). They want to use the Pearls to win the war. Alexandrite finds a grey Pearl (Leader-1) and takes on a humanoid form.

The other faction is led by Corundum (Optimus Prime) and claims to want to liberate the Pearls. Corundum’s partner is a golden Pearl (Sparkplug).

The three kids each get their own Pearl. Corundum’s Pearl sings to Alexis about Doing it For Her.

Oh and Unicron is Mother of Pearl, a gigantic tormented cluster of gem fragments who is able to generate Pearls.

Notes:

  * Set in Latin America. There’s 30 astronomical observatories in Chile, and the Atacama desert looks like the canyons we see in Armada. We don’t see many Transformers series set outside America or Japan.
  * Carlos’ mom works for observatory and was born in the country the observatory was built in. He has to explain that the Pearl that accompanied him home is not his girlfriend
  * Or she turns into a skateboard when his mom is around…
  * Alexis and Rad’s families moved to the observatory to work there - I don’t know enough about demographics to know if they would have moved from other Spanish-speaking countries or not.
  * Alexis has high-expectation parents.
  * Billy and Fred are older teens, involved in conspiracy theories
  * Hunting for minicons is peripheral to the daily lives of the kids - instead of treasure-hunt episodes, we have character development for the entire cast!
  * The Gems would have a vehicle mode and a humanoid mode, since Gems can shapeshift. Whether this vehicle mode is bound to a physical object, like a suit of armor, I don’t know.
  * At one point the Autobots attend an event at the kids’ school, disguised as humans.
  * Starscream/Jet defects earlier, and over more episodes.
  * The three legendary weapons are 3-gem fusions who are Made of Love. Their fusion forms are non-humanoid although I suppose they could take on a humanoid form if they choose.
  * Smokescreen dies and doesn’t come back because her gem was smashed up.
  * More worldbuilding about the Gems is revealed early on, leading up to the big reveal about Unicron/Mother of Pearl.
  * Sideswipe is an Ametrine with a Pink Pearl who is Mother of Pearl in disguise.
  * Jet's gem is seemingly destroyed in a last stand against Mother of Pearl.
  * Mother of Pearl demands a sacrifice, and Alexandrite jumps into her maw to save everybody else. Corundrum is heartbroken.



Sequel notes:

  * Years pass after the vanishment of Mother of Pearl. The kids are adults now. But Mother of Pearl is still out there, lying dormant.
  * Unwilling to live with his parents after a traumatic childhood incident, Kicker Jones moves in with Alexis, who lives in an apartment in San Francisco with her fridge full of soft drinks and her Orange Pearl.
  * Jet awakens inside Mother of Pearl, who has revived her to keep for always. Mother of Pearl is gathering power to come back.
  * Jet becomes Rainbow Anthracite when she fuses with Pink Pearl (or Gold Pearl, whatever disguise Mother of Pearl takes on).
  * Alexandrite becomes one of Mother of Pearl's servants.
  * We learn how Mother of Pearl came about: she formed around the nucleus of a deeply hurt Pearl, the very first one created by Homeworld. She is beset by deep emptiness and grief, and has a deep-set grudge against Homeworld/Primus. Mother of Pearl has a pessimistic outlook like, and is angry but not surprised at how Gems have treated Pearls, her children. She thinks the only way to end all suffering in the universe is to destroy everything.
  * Alexis must make Jet remember who she is.
  * Alexandrite must break free of Mother of Pearl's influence.
  * The climax of the sequel involves Kicker trying to get through to Mother of Pearl's layers before she devours Homeworld.




End file.
